1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to shower water filters and more particularly to an improved, shower water filter assembly which is easily disassembled and reassembled for reversing the water filter element carried therein.
2. Description of Related Art
Water filtering means for attachment to, or for use in conjunction with shower heads are known. These known filtering means may be inserted into a waterline, or replace an existing shower head, to filter water passing therethrough. However, after many attempts to solve the problems of clogging, ease in installation, back flushing and/or replacing the shower filter medium, as well as the high cost of manufacture, there still exists the need for a less cumbersome, easy to install and remove, low-cost shower filter assembly, that is also easily taken apart, to enable the filter element therein to be reversed for back flushing, thereby providing better water filtering capabilities, longer life of the filter element, and less waste.
One known prior art device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,582,388 to Mansfield, which discloses a water filter for attachment to a water faucet having screwed together housings to enable the filter assembly to be opened for recharging the filter material therein. This patent also discusses the ability of the filter to be self-cleaning by reversing the filter on the faucet to reverse the flow of fluid through the same to flush out any impurities contained therein. This filter, however, is not readily adapted for use in a shower head for filtering out the impurities in hot water passing therethrough, and does not present or contemplate the reversing of a separate filter element contained within a shower filter, after unscrewing two portions of a housing.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,080 to Rundzaitis et al., there is disclosed a shower filter having a replaceable filter cartridge. However, the replaceable filter cartridge is supported in a housing which is offset from the water flow, i.e., which is not in-line, thereby requiring direction control and valving means to direct the water from the entering water line into the offset filter cartridge.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,688 to Robinson, discloses a shower water filter, for insertion into a waterline, having a laterally displaced, or offset, cavity or compartment for holding a filter element. The filter element may be replaced by unscrewing a canister portion from a base portion, but no mention is made of reversing the filter element.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,224 to Farley, discloses a one piece shower water filter/dechlorinator assembly having a removable diverter/screen element at the inlet end to enable filter material to be initially inserted and held in the housing, as well as for recharging the filter, for dechlorinating water passing therethrough.
While the foregoing prior art patents solve some of the problems with the filtration and/or dechlorination of water in showers, they do not overcome all of the known difficulties, such as, but not limited to, problems with taking apart existing shower filters, back flushing of cartridges or filters to clean the same in an attempt to improve their efficiency and to avoid having to replace them as often, ease in manufacture and installation, and the provision of a continued, desired degree of filtration of water passing directly through an in-line device, providing extended filtering capabilities. Furthermore, while the above-mentioned prior art provide some limited improvements in the filtering art, there remains the need in the art for a shower filter assembly that provides a maximum of filtering and other capabilities in an easily opened design, allowing reversal or rotation of an internal filtering element, at a reasonable price.